Anterior spinal artery

The anterior spinal artery ("anterior spinal artery ") is the largest supplying artery to the spinal cord . It runs as an unpaired blood vessel on the front of the spinal cord in the spinal canal. In animals, it is located on the underside of the spinal cord and is called the ventral spinal artery .

anatomy

Anterior spinal artery (4). Front view, opened spinal cord membranes

The anterior spinal artery is formed from the two vortex or vertebral arteries (arteries vertebrales) in height of the pyramid level crossing (decussation pyramidum) and extends along the longitudinal fissure anterior to the front of the spinal cord according to caudal . In addition to its direct inflow, the anterior spinal artery also receives numerous segmental inflows via branches, mainly from three arteries, the vertebral arteries in the area of the cervical spine , the posterior intercostal arteries (arteriae intercostales posteriores) in the area of the thoracic spine and the lumbar arteries (arteriae lumbales) in the lumbar region . The branches are called the rami spinales .

The arteria spinalis anastomizes in turn over numerous branches running around the spinal cord, with the two arteriae spinales posteriores , which run on the back of the spinal cord. These branches can be seen as a continuation of the Rami spinales, but are not arranged segmentally, but vary in their distance.

pathology

If the anterior spinal artery is occluded by a thrombosis or embolism , the resulting ischemia leads to deficits in the areas supplied by the artery. The clinical picture is called anterior spinal artery syndrome .

Individual evidence

↑ FCAT - Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology: Terminologia Anatomica. Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 1998, ISBN 3-13-114361-4 .
^ World Association of Veterinary Anatomists - International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature: Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria. 4th edition. International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature et al., Zurich et al. 1994, ISBN 0-9600444-7-7 .

literature

Anton Waldeyer : Human anatomy. Edited by Jochen Fanghänel , Franz Pera, Friedrich Anderhuber, Robert Nitsch. 17th, completely revised edition. de Gruyter, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-11-016561-9 , p. 450.
Martin Trepel : Neuroanatomy. Structure and function. 3rd, revised edition. Urban & Fischer, Munich et al. 2004, ISBN 3-437-41297-3 , pp. 96-97.

[FCAT-1] FCAT - Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology: Terminologia Anatomica. Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 1998, ISBN 3-13-114361-4 .

[NAV1994-2] World Association of Veterinary Anatomists - International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature: Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria. 4th edition. International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature et al., Zurich et al. 1994, ISBN 0-9600444-7-7 .